Problems with someone who starts by playing guard.

I usually end up being taken down or pulling guard myself, so I usually don't end up in this situation in sparring sessions, but it is a problem for me. Altogether my guard pass is crap since for the last couple months I've spent most mat time defending on my back.

But occasionally my opponent and I will start with HIM playing guard and I'm clueless about what to do while he waits for me to make my move. If I ask for advice, whoever it is will usually tell me to just "experiment" and figure it out.

Usually I try the "toreano (Sp?)" pass, but it never works for me (my instructor tells me I'm not commiting enough to it).

Anyway, I usually end up getting sweeped or shoved back.

Any advice on a technique besides the toreano that might be easier for me to learn that I should focus on for now?

Just work guard passes as often as you can so you get used to the feel of being in guard and passing it. I have the same problem: I hate having to pass guard. When I roll w/someone lately, I just start off in their guard and if I pass, we reset, and if they sweep or submit, we reset. It's a great exercise.

One guard pass I like to try is to pin their biceps to the ground by standing up and putting all your weight on your hands (requires you to have a long wide base, but with both feet back, like you are about to do a hindu pushup or something). This would create a little space in between your crotches, from where you shove a knee through and sit down.

If you can create space by using any guard escape, you can put both arms inside and try an underpass, but depending on im he sees it and stops an arm, you risk the triangle.

I guess what my real problem is that I'm not IN his guard. I'm on my knees right around his feet. I might be able to pass if I started inside his closed guard, but that's not the case. If I try to work my way in closer to control the legs so I can slide my knee over, I usually get shoved back out. If I try to pass from the outside, like with the bull-fighter pass, I usually get sweeped.

It's just an odd situation, where he sits calmly and rejects all my attempts. Maybe I'm really not commiting enough, maybe I'm not using proper technique; I'm not entirely sure though because like I said, the communication at my school isn't very forthcoming.

As far as passing is concerned, if you are getting shoved out, make sure you are controlling the legs at all times. From the point where you find yourself in open guard, I like to grab around both legs and either push them together or step over one leg, and come around to side control. If you end up in spider guard with feet in biceps, I like standing up, coming forward, and sitting on my opponent's thighs, so his/her legs are dangling uselessly in mid air. From here, I grab a foot, drag it to one side, and drop right into side control.

You could also try a flying armbar/triangle. You might not get the submission, but may get him to get into your guard.

Your advising someone with little to no guard passing skills to try a gimmick move?

That is not good advice.

Tangerine, if you can afford it and your instructor is a BB, pay for a private with your instructor. Ask him to teach you two to three basic guard passes. Failing that, ask a purple belt or higher for a private, purple belt privates are cheaper. If this is not an option, find one of the higher belts who doesn't seem to mind helping out the lower ranks and ask him to spend a little time with you during randori to work on your passing game.

Also, ask your sparring partners to pull guard on you when you start, every time. This way you can focus on your passing. Do this as often as you can if you want to get better. It's painful at first, but it's also the shortest path to improvement.

When you get swept or reversed, ask your opponent what they did to sweep or reverse you. They might not always be able to answer, but you'll never know if you don't ask.

If you're stuck in a rut, it's up to you to take the initiative to climb out of it.

It's not unusual to spend time developing either your top game or your bottom game as your preferred position. I'm not sure how much time you have into BJJ, but working on the opposite of your preferred positions is essential at some point, and it's better sooner than later.

Guard passes have very simple elements to them. However, mastering them under pressure and against different types of opponents of varied weights, skills, and strengths takes time developing. The basic concepts to a guard pass are: 1) posture 2) break leg grip 3) pass legs. There are some athletic passes that break that pattern, but most go through some variation of those 3 steps.

If someone is playing open guard with you then #2 is already accomplished. However, many times in gi grappliing people will combine open guard with sleeve grips to keep you from posturing up effectively.

You don't have to move forward either. Movin back away from your opponent can give you more space to set something up to pass the legs.

Without knowing more specifics, it's hard to tell you more. jnp has good advice. I also after a rolling match where I have a problem gettng caught will grab my opponent and take him over to my instructor and duplicate the scenario and ask for specific scenario advice.

Don't have that much BJJ experience, but the best guard pass for me goes as follows: When he is relaxed, or not expecting anything, grab his arm from the side as your grabbing arm (Right grabs his left), get to your knees, and start standing up from the right foot. As you stand up, switch hands. You should now be holding his left wrist with your left hand, and basically lifted him up somewhat. Stand as straight as possible, while you push his knee away. If your back points straight up, he will be unable to take you down. Get your knee through, and staple him.

When you're near his feet does he have control of any of your bodyoarts? Are we talking Gi or No-Gi?

If they don't have any of your bodyparts it's a fight for control of his ankles/legs and clearing them. If he has something you're looking at the same deal with the added step of freeing whatever he has.